Sparano says Raiders “run it well and keep it away from you”

“There’s a lot of things, but I think obviously the biggest issue is these guys can run the football and run it well and keep it away from you. And they’ve two running backs there that can finish runs and score touchdowns from a long ways away. They’re one of the top teams if not the top team in the league in plus-20 yard rushes. There last 10 wins they averaged 182 yards a game rushing the football. That puts you up at the top of the league. They’re a physical bunch of guys that way. They keep their third downs manageable. I think Hue’s done a tremendous job. And of course when you add a player like Carson Palmer there it all of a sudden brings a complete different dimension to the table. And I always think a lot about their defense. They fly around. They’ve got good players up front. They’re hard to block. Good team.”

The big difference for his defense the last four weeks (it has been lights out):

“I just think understanding the scheme better. We had some new players in there. Our guys are understanding the scheme a little bit better, we’re playing a little bit more recklessly right now on that side of the ball and playing a little bit more physical. Creating more turnovers, getting ourselves into third downs and getting people off the field.”

The new Reggie Bush:

“I think people are starting to figure out that he’s been able to run the football in between the tackles. Reggie’s done a nice job of that. He’s committed to it. He’s done a good job of running the ball hard, making hard yards and has made a lot of big plays for us. So Reggie’s playing better and better, and a large part of that has to do with us figuring out how to use Reggie. In other words, he’s a complete different back than we’ve had here in the last three or four years. Had to figure out how to use him a little bit, and we’re doing a better job of that. Reggie’s doing the rest.”

Raiders fullback Marcel Reece:

“He’s pretty unique in the way they’re using him. Hue’s doing a nice job using him a bunch of different ways. We have, I wouldn’t call him a player like that yet, but our guy Charles Clay is a guy that came out of college and wore a lot of hats and is playing a bunch of different spots for us. But this guy is really – they’re using him a bunch of different ways. You see him make plays. They’re throwing him screens. He’s running the ball. They’re doing a great job utilizing him. I’m not sure how many fullbacks in the league you’re going into the game saying, ‘Where is he going to line up?’ and this is a guy that you got to worry about that with.”